Clothes-line prop



(No Model.)

B. P. WALKER.

CLOTHES LINE PROP.

N0. 557,733. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

WITNESSES NVENTOR Z BY)Z/'0 ATTO Units STATES 1 ATENT FFICE- EDlV ARD P.\YALKER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CLOTH ES-LINE PROP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,733, dated April 7,1896.

Application filed August 1, 1895 T0 aZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, EDIVARD P. WALKER, a citizen of the Fnited States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Props;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

The object of my invention is, first, to enable the line-holder to beself-securing when applied to a movable or stationary support second, toprevent breakage of the line-holder in lateral strains, tending tospread the linegrasping parts, and, third, to prevent the accidentaldisengagement of the clothes-line from the line-holder.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an ordinary clothes-line with theimproved lineholder applied to a pole and engaging with the line. Fig. 2is an enlarged side view of the improved line-holder shown connectedwith the broken upper portion of the pole and in dotted lines theposition of the separate yielding sides of the line-holder in resistingstrains and permitting the entrance and removal of the clothes-line.Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the improved line-holder as seen inFig. 2, showing a portion of the clothesline at the point of greateststrain. Fig. a is a detail view, in perspective, of the improvedline-holder. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the upper or slotted end of theprop with the line-holder removed. Fig. 6 is a view of a modified formof lineholder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the improved line-holder, whichconsists, essen: tially, of the yielding jaws a a and the securing-shankB. The shank B is made from a single spring-plate, which is bent at apoint equidistant from both ends in the arc of a circle at Z), so as toform a spring, one plate, 1), extending therefrom upwardly aconsiderable distance in a straight line, and also inclined outwardly atan angle to a horizontal line in the proper degree. To the upper end ofthe plate Z) is connected the yielding plate or jaw Serial No. 557,882.(No model.)

a, the lower end of which extends outwardly at an angle to the side ofplate I), and is extended upwardly a short distance in an elongatedcurved line, as at (F, thence bent downwardly and inwardly in a curvedline toward the lower portion of the jaw a, and terminated a shortdistance above the upper end of the plate I), forming a hook Q The otherplate, b extends upwardly in the same manner and the same height as theplate I), to the upper end of which is connected the jaw a, which isprecisely the same as the jaw a and is bent in the direction of the jawa, and terminated the same distance above the plate b as described ofthe jaw a, also forming a hook similar to the hook a The line-holder maybe made from a single piece of spring-steel, and the parts a a may betempered separately from the shank B and in a different degree.

0 represents a pole of ordinary height, to the end of which theline-holder A is secured in the following manner: The upper end 0 of thepole is at right angles to the sides 0 0'. In the upper end of the poleO and extending from the end 0 of the bar in the direction of the lowerend of said pole and equidistant from the sides 0 0 is a transverse slot0 which is the same length as the side 6' of the shank B. Beneath theslot 0 is a circular opening 0 which communicates with the slot 0 Theline-holder is then secured to the pole by first compressing the plates6 b and inserting the same in aclosed position in the slot 0 theportion 1) entering the opening 0 In the slot 0 the width of which isslightly in excess of the combined thickness of the plates 5 b theplates spring outwardly or expand against the sides of the slot andretain the line-holder securely in position, while the portion 1), whichis driven within and fits snugly the opening 0 in the end of said pole,prevents accidental side movement of the line-holder.

In the operation of the line-holder in connection with the clothes-linethe line-holder is placed in a position beneath with the line betweenthe parts a a and as pressure is applied the jaws (I. a opensufiiciently to admit the line.

In the sway of the line, and particularly as the angle described by thepole G from the ground is increased,the strain is brought upon one j aw,causing it to bend over, which movement is checked by the upper end ofthe pole against which it comes in contact. In this manner the breakageof the line-holder is prevented. During the sway of the clothesline fromwhatever cause the line is prevented from disengagement from theline-holder and enters the hooked portion of the jaw, at which point noaccidental removal is permitted. The line-holder is disengaged from theline by permitting the line to enter between the parts a aof the jaws aa and drawing upon the line-holder, the parts of which yield for thispurpose.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the outwardly-c urved jaws of the line-holderwith the upper ends extended in an upward direction and curved outwardlyin opposite directions and thence downwardly a short distance. The upperend of the pole is grooved at 0 so as to admit the under side portion ofthe jaws, and thus prevent the breakage of the jaws when strain isapplied, the jaws being secured to the pole, as described in Figs. 1 andIn my improved line-holder I have attained a serviceable andreadily-applied device which maybe attached to a fixture in a horizontalposition as well as vertical and will adapt itself to all of the variedrequirements of clothes-line props.

Having fully described my invention, what I new claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

In a clothes-line prop a clothes-pole having a transverse slot in theupper end thereof and a circular opening beneath and communicating withsaid slot, opposite yielding line-holding jaws having a shank composedof separate plates connected with said jaws at their respective upperends arranged within said transverse slot in said pole and having theirlower ends connected together and bent in the arc of a circle andextending within the circular opening in said pole as and for thepurpose described.

EDWARD I. XVALKER. Vitnesses:

C. E. LIVERS, S. L. O. IIASSON.

